Process for separating the metals contained in copper-nickel matte.



UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. NEIL, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSlHNOlt 'lO FREDERIC C.NORRIS, TRUSTEE, OF DETROIT. MIPlllGAN.

PROCESS FOR SEPARATING THE METALS CONTAINED IN COPPER-NICKEL MATTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. March 1'7, 1908.

Application filed June 3, 1907. Serial No. 377,041.

To all whom it, may concern:

Be it known that I, JA1\IES M. NEIL, of the city of Toronto, in theProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in Processes for Separating the Metals Contained inCopper-Nickel Matte, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to devise means for separating the metals contained incopper-nickel matte which will be materially cheaper than the processesnow in use, and 1 attain my object by a process which may be brieflysummarized as follows ;-The matte is by treatment with sulfuric acidconverted into a solution of sulfates of the copper nickel and any othermetals contained as impurities. This solution is subjected toelectrolysis, copper-nickel anode and copper cathodes beinp en'iploycdresulting in the deposition on the cathode of most of the copper. Thenickel sulfate solu tion is treated with a chlorid of one of thealkaline earths forming a. solution of nickcl chlorid and a precipitateof a sulfate of the alkaline earth. The nickel chlorid solution is thensubjected to electrolysis, an insoluble anode an d a nickel cathodebeing; employed, resulting in the depositof the nickcl on the cathode.The sulfur contained in thc insolu ble sulfate precipitate is separatedwith the formation of the chlorid of the alkaline earth, which maybeused over again in the carryin c out of the process.

In putting my process into practice 1 procee l as follows;-A mattecontaining the nickel and copper is obtained by any of the well knownsmelting-and roasting methods at. present in use for the treatment ofnickcl copper bearing' ores. i take this matte and gently roast it in arevolving or revcrberahwry furnace in the presence of carbon and air inorder to expel any remaining sulfur and ar sonic contained therein.After this is clfccted the t-cmpcralure of the furnace is increased inordcr to bring" its contents into a molten condition. Part of thelllOllLll contents are cast into slabs, which arc sod as anodes in apart of the process subsequently dcscribcd, and the remainder of theconicnts of thc furnaco are run into watcr and thcrcby disinie grated.The disintcgrratcd malcrial is treated with sulfuric acid in a.dissolving lower, 1 and a solution of coppcl' and mckcl sulfateobtained, with probably thc si lfatcs of some other metals contained asnupuritics. 'llus treatment iscarruvl on until a sat uralcd solution ofthe sulfates is obtained. lhis solu tion nowused thc clectrolytein aseries of tanks, in which are suspendcd as anodes the slabs cast asabove described, and which consist principally of metallic nickel andcoppcr. To secure the best results, an electrolyte should be made from amatte from which the sulfur is not entirely cxpcllcd. 'lhin sheets ofcopper are used as cathodes. On passing an electric. current through theelectrolyte the copper is deposited on the cathodes as metallic copper,and an equivalent amount of copper and nickclis dissolved from theanodes. This process is continued through a series of tanks untilfinally a solution is obtained containing nickel sulfalc and a smallpercentage of copper sulfatc. This solution .is now treated with asullid, either in the form of sulfureted hydrogen or in the form of asoluble suliid, until the copper, iron, zinc, or othcr metals containedin the solution as impuritics, have been prccipitated as sullids. Whcn asullicicnl quantity of these sullids has accumulated they are worked upin any ordinary manncr for the recovery of the copper.

The nickcl sulfalc solution is liltcred, and is trcalcd with a solutionof a chlorid of an element of which the sulfate is insoluble. ()hloridsof thc alkaline earth such as calcium, barium, &c., will fill thisrequirement. This trcatmcnt rcsults in the formation of a solution ofnickel chlorid and an insoluble precipitate of a sulfate of the alkalineearth cmploycd, which arc separated by suitably lillcrin; and washing.The nickel chlorid is now subjcclcd to clcctrolys s, an insoluble anodc,prcl'crably graphite, and a nickel cathode, bcing mnploycd. Mctallicnickel is thus dcposilcd at the cathode, and chlorin gas is libcralcd atthe anode.

Tho sulfate of tin alkaline earth obtained during the process is mixedwith the requisite amount of carbonaceous matter, and roasted so as toconvcrt it into sullid, after which it is treated with t-hc chlorinobtained as above, so as to convert it into the chlorid of the alkalineearth, with liberation of the sulfur which may be recovered, andconverted into sulfuric acid for rousc in dissolv ing frcsh quanl iticsof copper-nickel matte.

What i claim as my invention is l. in a process of reducing nickel fromclippcr-nickol matte, the treatment of the maltc with sulfuric acid toform sulfates of ode to the metals, the electrolysis of the solutionwith a copper-nickel anode and copper cathode to deposit the copper inthe metallic form, and the treatment of the resultant nickel sulfatesolution With a solution of a chlorid of an alkaline earth resulting inthe formation of a solution of nickel chlorid and a precipitate of aninsoluble sulfate of the alkaline earth. I

-2. In a process of reducing nickel from copper-nickel matte, thetreatment of the mattewith sulfuric acid to form sulfates of the metals,the electrolysis of the solution with a copper-nickel anode and coppercathode to deposit the copper in the metallic form, and the treatment ofthe resultant nickel sulfate solution with a solution of a matte Withsulfuric acid to form sulfates of the metals, the electrolysis of thesolutionv with a copper nickel anode and copper cathode to deposit-thecopper in the metallic form, the treatment of the resultant solutionwith a sulfurizing re-agent to precipitate any remaining copper andother metals (present'as impurities) in the form of sulfids, and thetreatment of the resultant nickel sulfate solution with a solution of a.chlorid of an alkaline earth resultin in the forma tion of a solutionof nickel ch orid and a precipitate of an insoluble sulfate of thealkaline earth.

4. In a process of reducing nickel from coppernickel matte, thetreatment of the matte With sulfuric acid to form sulfates of the metal,the electrolysis of the solution With a copper-nickel anode and coppercatl eposit the copper in the metallic form, the treatment of theresultant nickel sulfate solution With a solution of a chlorid of analkaline earth resulting in the formation of a solution of nickelchlorid and a me cipitate of an insoluble sulfate of the alkaline earth,the electrolysis of the nickelchlorid with an insoluble anode and nickelcathode, resulting in the de osit of the nickel on the cathode and theiberation of chlorin gas, the roasting of the sulfate of the alkalineearth obtained as above With carbon to con vert it to a sulfid,- and thetreatment of the sullid with the chlorinobtained as above to re-obtainthe chlorid of the, alkaline earth with the liberation of sulfur. 5. Ina process of reducing nickel frofn:

copper-nickel matte, the electrolysis of a solution of copper-nickelsulfate with a coppernickel anode and copper cathode to de osit thecopper in the metallic form, an the treatment of the resultant nickelsulfate solution With a solution of a chlorid of an alka line earthresulting in the formation of a solution of nickel chlorid and aprecipitate of an insoluble sulfate of the alkaline earth.

6. In a process of reducing nicke'l from copper-nickel matte, theelectrolysisbf a so-- lution of copper-nickel sulfate With acoppernickelanode and copper cathode to deposit the copper in the metallic form, thetreatment'of the resultant nickel sulfate solution With a solution of achlorid of an alkaline earth resulting in the formation of a solution ofnickel chlorid and a precipitate of an insoluble sulfate of the alkalineearth, the electrolysis of the-nickel chlorid with an insoluble anodeand nickel cathode, resulting in the deposit of the nickel on thecathode. and the liberation of chlorin gas.

7. In a process of reducing nickel from copper-nickel matte, theelectrolysis of asolution of copper-nickel sulfate with a coppernickclanode and copper cathode to deposit the copper in the metallic form, thetreat ment of the result ant solution with a sulfurizing reagent toprecipitate any remaining copper and other metals (present as impurities) in the form of sulfids, the treatment of the resultant nickelsulfate solution with a solution of a chlorid of an alkaline earthresulting in the formation of a solution of nickel chlorid and aprecipitate of an insolu ble sulfate of the alkaline earth, and the electrolysis of the nickel chlorid With an insoluble anode and nickelcathode, resulting in the deposit ofthe nickel on the cathode and theliberation of chlorin gas.

' 8. In. a process of reducing nickel from copper-nickel matte, theelectrolysis of a so lution of copper-nickel sulfate with a coppernickelanode and copper cathode to deposit the copper in the metallic form, thetreatment of the resultant nickel sulfate solution with a solution ofchlorid of the alkaline earth. resulting in the formation of a solutionof nickel chlorid and a precipitate of an insoluble sulfate of analkaline earth, the electrolysis of the nickel chlorid with an insolubleanode and nickel cathode, resulting in the deposit of the nickel on thecathode and the liberation of chlorin gas, the roasting of the sulfateof the alkaline earth obtained as above with carbon to convert it to asulfid, and the treatment of the sulfld with the chlorin obtained asabove to re-obtain the chlorid of the alkaline earth with the liberationof sulfur. I

9. In a process of reducing nickel from copperenickel matte, roastingthe matte in.

the presence of carbon and air to expel any sulfur and arsenic remainingtherein, the treatment ofth'e roasted matte with sulfuricacid to formsulfates of the metals, the electrolysis of the solution with acopper-nickel,

anode and copper cathode to deposit the copper in the metallic form, andthe treatment of the resultant nickel sulfate solution of a chloridv ofan alkaline earth resulting in the formation of a solution of nickelchlorid and a precipitate of an insoluble sulfate of the alkaline earth10. In a process of reducing nickel from copper-nickel matte, roastingthe matte in the presence of carbon and air to expel any sulfur andarsenic remaining therein, bringing the roasted matte into a moltencondition, casting anodes from part of the molten mixture,disintegrating the remainder by running it into water, the treatment ofthe disintegrated in the metallic form, and the treatment oi" theresultant nickel sulfate solution with a solution of a chlorid of analkaline earth resulting in the formation of a solution of nickelchlorid and a precipitate of an insoluble sulfate of the alkaline earth.

' Toronto, Ont, 30th May, 1007.

JAMES M. NEIL. Signed in presence of-- J. Plow. MAYBEE, F. W.hlCKENDRICK.

